A major challenge in the field of biomaterials is the prevention of nonspecific protein adsorption on surfaces. Nonspecific protein adsorption on surfaces has varieties of adverse affects. For example, nonspecific protein adsorption degrades the performance of surface-based diagnostic devices and slows the healing process for implanted biomaterials.
Nonfouling or low fouling materials can be used to address nonspecific protein adsorption on surfaces. For example, pegylated background has been applied to biosensor platforms to prevent nonspecific adsorption from complex media. Nonfouling materials can also be used for marine coatings to replace the existing toxic tributyltin (TBT) coatings to prevent biofouling on ships.
There are limited number of effective nonfouling materials that can meet various challenges for practical applications. Two nonfouling materials, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and phosphorylcholine (PC)-based materials, have been extensively studied. However, there are shortcomings with these materials, such as that PEG is subject to oxidation and that 2-methacryloyloxylethyl phosphoryleholine (MPC) monomers are not readily available. In addition, both PEG and PC groups lack functional groups available for ligand immobilization as required for many applications. The introduction of additional functional groups into PEG may alter its nonfouling properties.
Therefore, there is a need for nonfouling materials that circumvents limitations of oxidation and can be formed from varieties of readily available compounds. The present invention seeks to fulfill these needs and provides further related advantages.